Day 30—NaNoWriMo: Now What?

Now what?

I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Day 29—NaNoWriMo: Can you survive one more day?

You can. You will.

You’ll survive because you are a writer.

This is your job. Or, you know, your second job.

One more day.

Hang in there.

Sit. Write. Repeat.

That’s the magic. That’s the secret.

Close every tab. Open your word processor (if you haven’t already). Then get to work.

Know that come December you can take it easy.

Writers: bliss is right around the corner.

Day 28—NaNoWriMo: What are your plans for December?

Sleep. Eat. Repeat.

Sleep. Read. Sleep.

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

You deserve a reward for working so hard in November.

You also deserve a break from your inner editor/critic.

You most of all deserve to be satisfied with your writing.

So do whatever you would like to do in the month of December in celebration. Besides, this is your life. And if anyone tries to tell you something different, they’ll have to put up with the wrath of a writer.

And we all know a writer is capable of many things. Like finishing a novel in one month. Am I right?

The end is near. Keep going. Keep writing.

Day 27—NaNoWriMo: Are you a real writer?

I realize that many of you are probably tired for obvious reasons. So I promise to give you a straightforward question today.

Trick question; obviously, you are. If you weren’t a writer you wouldn’t be attempting to write a novel in a month, would you? Silly me. My brain must be malfunctioning from lack of sleep, food, water, air, and all of life’s essential needs. Like this post if you can relate. Like this post even if you can’t relate.

And since I consider myself a writer, I’ll be cheering every other aspiring novelist on. I’ll clap for you at the finish line and we can throw a party on November 30th regardless of your word count. You tried. 7 billion other people didn’t.

So party away with whatever you accomplished this month, okay? Reward yourself. You’re different than everyone else because you are a writer, but you’re still human, so don’t forget to catch up on some sleep in December. Sounds like a good plan, no?

Take care because Christmas will soon be here.

Day 26—NaNoWriMo: Do you have unanswered questions or loose ends that need to be addressed?

Today is the last Monday of November; also it’s the last Monday of National Novel Writing Month. Can you believe you’ve come this far?

As for your novel:

Regardless of whether you’re done or still working on your NaNoWriMo project, it’s a good idea to go over your novel for unanswered questions, unfinished story lines, etc.

Never fear if you realize that you left out a major event in your story or forgot to include some vital information about a character. This is still your first draft after all. And if you’re like any great novelist, you’ll come back in December—or next year if you need a break— to breathe life into your manuscript.

Wishing everyone a productive Monday (and an even more productive week)!

Since we’re so close to the start of December, I am starting to get into a giving mood. How about giving back to all of you, my wonderful readers and followers? If you want to me to do a post on any particular topic be it writing or blogging or something random, comment down below. I haven’t planned out any December posts since I’ve been so caught up with my NaNoWriMo ones so send me some suggestions. All ideas are welcome. Thanks.

Day 25—NaNoWriMo: Where are you in the story literally and figuratively?

Where have 25 days of November gone? Into your novel of course.

Now’s a good time to assess your novel from the inside out since you can start validating your novel today. In fact, you have five more days to do so if you’re almost there but not there yet.

Where are you in terms of your story? Where are you in terms of your word count? Where are you in general?

The end is near. Hang on, hold on, and enjoy the ride for a few more days.

Since we’re so close to the start of December, I am starting to get into a giving mood. How about giving back to all of you, my wonderful readers and followers? If you want to me to do a post on any particular topic be it writing or blogging or something random, comment down below. I haven’t planned out any December posts since I’ve been so caught up with my NaNoWriMo ones so send me some suggestions. All ideas are welcome. Thanks.

Day 24—NaNoWriMo: Do you need to push harder?

We are nearing the final stretch of NaNoWriMo. Less than a week from today, November will finally draw to a close. Sad I know.

So with that in mind, how far along are you in your novel? Most of you are almost there. Some have finished already, while a lucky few blew past the 50,000 mark with numbers in the six digits. Congratulations to you regardless of where you are, how much you’ve written, or the number of hours you spent writing this month. You deserve more than just a pat on the back for persevering for 24 days and counting.

However, if your word count isn’t on par with today’s average (it should be about 40,000), time is still on your side. You have 6 days although five are weekdays and only one is Saturday. But I know you can do it. You might have to push harder, write more than you ever have before, sacrifice your TV time, decline an invitation to have a drink with your buddies, and stay up later the next few days. In doing so, you’ll be one step closer to watching your word count meter tick its way to 50k.

Remember long-term satisfaction over short-term gratification. Pain doesn’t last forever but I doubt you’ll forget the feeling after winning NaNoWriMo.

Day 22—NaNoWriMo: Have you developed your own voice?

Friday has arrived. With another day comes another NaNoWriMo question.

Finding your own distinct voice can be a challenge. Whether your writing a blog post or a novel, your voice will be the way you hook your readers, giving them a reason to keep reading. So developing a writer’s voice that is truly your own can be a struggle.

Obviously your voice will change depending on the genre or audience you are writing to but sticking to a consistent voice allows people to recognize your work easily. It makes your piece unique, your writing stand out, your work pop.

How do you acquire said voice? You keep writing. And writing. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

Even after November and National Novel Writing Month finishes, I invite you to continue this craft.

Have a great weekend everyone!